Ski simulator or snowboard simulator, set for games or for training comprising the simulator and a method of training with its usage

ABSTRACT

The ski or snowboard simulator composed of a base, on which there is placed a trolley travelling parallelly along the longer sides of the base with the sockets for feet of training person that are able to rotate around the longitudinal axis, characterized in that there is connected the rail ( 6 ) with the base ( 1 ), on which there is seated, preferably transitionally, a boom ( 7 ) with a saddle ( 8 ) and the set for games or training and the method of training with its usage.

The subject of the present invention is a ski simulator or a snowboard simulator dedicated for simulating and training of the moves that makes the user is performing turns during a downhill run, especially at high speed and for stirring into action and for reinforcing the particular groups of the user's muscles, particularly involved in the effective turns performing. The simulator is also dedicated to simulate the ski or snowboard movements in the computer games, game consoles and computer training programs, as a part of the user's interface controller. The simulator finds its application in the sportsman's trainings and recreation.

There is known the appliance described in the European patent application EP1510236, composed of: a base, elements imitating the skis so assembled to assure a possibility of lateral moves versus the base and to be inclined from vertical direction by the training user, a power drive attached to the elements that are imitating the skis, the sensors detecting the angle of inclination of the elements that are imitating the skis and the central control unit. In this solution the value of the force that is transmitted at elements that are imitating the skis and consecutively at the legs of the training person is in a direct proportion to the angle of the inclination of these elements. There is another similar solution described In the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 3,791,645. It is composed of: a runway on which there is supported a trolley that can move in both lateral sides driven through the frictional type of junction with one of the two rotating in the opposite direction transmission belts and the junction is set autogenously through the rotation or the inclination of the sockets for fixing the feet of the training person.

The real defect of these two solutions is the weight and dimensions. Exercising on so built simulators requires an excessive coordination of the moves and maintaining of a body balance in comparison to a real downhill ski or snowboard running. Moreover, a solution that is linking a force of elements that are imitating the skis or a snowboard to the angle of the inclination can be dangerous for the person performing exercises, especially to a beginner skier o snowboarder. Considering the fact that consequently to a bigger inclination of the elements that are imitating the skis or snowboard, the turning back movement that is transmitted at the legs of training person will be more rapid and in case that person tilts (due to effect of a tiredness of leg muscles) the angle of inclination of the elements that are imitating the skis or snowboard is increasing what is effecting with a backward rapid movement. There are also known appliances that are not equipped with the power drive, like for instance the appliance described in US patent application US2009/0176631. This ski simulator is composed of: at least two arc-bended and parallel rails that are a runway, attached to an inclined plane with adjustable angle of inclination connected to a frame that is containing handle, a trolley with rollers riding along the runway, where the trolley is equipped with two axially positioned swinging sockets, a motion resistance element, a vibration damping element, the set of rollers and a rod with attached ball, which can be grabbed between the knees of training person. According to a similar principle operates the solution presented in the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 7,803,091 that is containing set of at least two partially and horizontally arc-bended and parallel rails attached to two opposite parts of a frame that are creating an ascending from both ends runway, a trolley with rollers that is riding along the runway, where the highest point is reached at the center of the runway and going to the sides it is descending, at least one socket that is connected by an articulated joint to the trolley and at least one belt that acts as a motion resistance element for the trolley. In the international patent application WO2006/084135 there is described the appliance composed of the set of trolley that is a support for feet of the training person, that can move crosswise on two pipes that are limiting the crosswise moves through the breaking torque. There is also known the ski simulator described in the Polish patent application PL312283 that is composed of the skis that are attached to a trolley by the swinging joints, the trolley is attached rotationally on an inclined base by the axis and it is supported by the rollers that are travelling along the arc-bended rail, wherein the trolley is equipped with a strip, to which it is fixed the axis and the elastic elements by the fasteners and lines driven through the rollers. In a downhill running on the edges the skier/snowboarder should maximally swing the hips into internal side of turn. None of these solutions can improve this technique element. In the solutions that are mentioned above position of hips and trunk is forced by the construction of appliance, therefore a training person can take improper attitude and activate other groups of muscles that are normally engaged in an active carving or snowboard racing. Unexpectedly, problems mentioned above are solved by the presented invention.

The first subject of the presented invention is the ski or snowboard simulator comprising a base, on which there is placed a trolley travelling parallelly along the longer sides of the base with the sockets for feet of training person that are able to rotate around the longitudinal axis, characterized in that there is connected the rail with the base, on which there is seated, preferably transitionally, a boom with a saddle. In a preferable realization of the invention, the simulator is containing a trolley which is connected on its extremes with elastic elements that are spread along the crosswise rails of ends limited by the shorter sides of the base. In a next preferable realization of the invention the boom is connected with the counterweight by mechanism composed of a line driven through the pulley blocks attached to the weight. Also preferably the simulator according to the invention is characterized in that, the boom it is attached to adjustable absorber, preferably pneumatic one. In another preferable realization of the invention the Simulator is characterized In that, the rail can be inclined in the range from 90° to 45°, most preferably 60° versus the plane of the base. Also preferably the simulator according to the invention is characterized in that, the socket for feet of the training person are joined together in the snowboard simulator. More preferably the simulator according to the invention is characterized in that, the crosswise rails in the simulator are arc-bended.

The second subject of the presented invention is a set for games or for training characterized in that is comprising the simulator that is defined in the first subject of the invention that is connected to a computer set or a game console.

The third subject of the presented invention is a method of a conducting the ski or snowboard training that is including positioning the feet of the training person on the trolley that is travelling on the base along one of its longer sides, that is characterized in that is including releasing the legs thanks to the saddle that is attached to the boom placed over the base. Also preferably the boom is attached by sliding joint to the rail fixed to the base or permanently to some other structural element, preferably to the wall.

The simulator forces the training person ideal and particularly preferable position of legs versus the trunk where the matter consists in that trunk keeps parallel position while is moving during performing of turn only vertically and backward or forward without possibility of crosswise moving versus the hypothetic direction of inclination of a slope. It is possible, however not required rotation of the saddle according to the axis of the boom. Moreover the legs of training person during the crosswise or longitudinal (snowboard) movement of the trolley on which the feet are supported are bended in the hips versus the trunk, wherein the bending angle increases together with lowering the saddle with the trunk supported on it. So, this is the correctly adopted attitude of the body of the skier/snowboarder fastly performing of turns during a downhill run. So, the habit obtained during trainings on the simulator improves ski/snowboard learning in the real conditions.

The invention is presented on the example of drawing execution, where in

FIG. 1 presents the ski simulator in the front axonometric view,

FIG. 2 presents the ski simulator in the front view including a shape of training person,

FIG. 3 presents the simulator with a pneumatic absorber 13,

FIG. 4 presents the simulator with not adjustable saddle 8,

FIG. 5 presents the simulator without rubber elastic elements,

FIG. 6.1 and FIG. 6.2 presents the snowboard simulator and

FIG. 7. presents the simulator with arc-bended crosswise rails 2.

On the FIG. 1. there are indicated by the arrows directions of movements of the movable parts of the simulator.

EXAMPLE 1

As it is shown on the FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the ski simulator is composed of the base 1 equipped with crosswise rails 2, on which there is placed the riding trolley 3 on which there are two longitudinally placed rails 4 to which there are attached by rotational joints two sockets for the skier's feet. There are attached to the base 1 two vertical rails 6, on which there is attached by a sliding joint the boom 7 with fixed saddle 8, which is coupled with mechanism of adjustable force of rising of the saddle, which in the shown example is composed of the line 9, attached with one end to the boom 7, driven through the pulley blocks 10 and counterweighted on the second end with the load 11, which releases from the body weight the legs of seating training person. The ski simulator is equipped with the handles 12 for the hands of the skier that are helping to keep the balance during the exercises. The simulator is equipped with the elastic elements (rubbers) that are attached to the trolley 3.

EXAMPLE 2

The ski simulator as presented in the example 1 with the difference, that the mechanism with adjustable force of rising of the saddle is replaced by the pneumatic absorber 13. Realization is shown on the FIG. 3.

EXAMPLE 3

The ski simulator equipped with the saddle 8 but it's not possible to adjust its height. Realization is shown on the FIG. 4.

EXAMPLE 4

The ski simulator as In the example 3 with the difference, that there are no elastic elements (rubbers). Realization is shown on the FIG. 5.

EXAMPLE 5

The snowboard simulator as presented in FIGS. 6.1 and 6.2 but differently to the others described above it is equipped with one longitudinal rail 4 for two feet.

EXAMPLE 6

On the FIG. 7. it is shown simulator with arc-bended crosswise rails 2.

EXAMPLE 7

There were done series of trainings on the simulator form the example 2. Trainings were executed in one month, three times a week, one hour. During the training hour, 10 minutes there were executed exercises interrupted by a 5 minute break. The person trained on the simulator was able to perform the correct movements of the body in the real conditions and was was in advance in comparison to other persons that had no possibility of training on the simulator. 

1. The ski or snowboard simulator comprising a base, on which there is placed a trolley travelling parallelly along the longer sides of the base with the sockets for feet of training person that are able to rotate around the longitudinal axis, characterized in that there is connected the rail (6) with the base (1), on which there is seated, preferably transitionally, a boom (7) with a saddle (8).
 2. The ski simulator described in claim 1 characterized in that, the trolley (3) is connected at its ends with the elastic elements that are spread along the crosswise rails, preferably a rubber elastic elements that are attached to the base (1) on their other ends.
 3. The ski simulator described in claim 1 characterized in that, the boom (7) it is attached to the counterweight by a mechanism composed of the line (9) that is driven through the pulley blocks (10) and attached to the load
 11. 4. The simulator described in claim 1 characterized in that, the boom (7) is attached to an absorber (13) preferably pneumatic one.
 5. The simulator according to claim 1 characterized in that, the rail (6) is inclined with the angle in range from 90° to 45°, most preferably 60° versus the plane of the base (1).
 6. The simulator claim 1 characterized in that, the sockets for feet (5), are joined together for the snowboard simulator.
 7. The simulator according to one of claim 1 characterized in that, the crosswise rails in the ski simulator are arc bended.
 8. The set for games or for training characterized in that it is comprising the simulator that is defined in claim 1 that is connected to a computer set or a game console.
 9. The method of a conducting the ski or snowboard training that is including positioning the feet of the training person on the trolley that is travelling on the base along one of its longer sides, that is characterized in that is including releasing the legs thanks to the saddle (8) that is attached to the boom (7) placed over the base (1).
 10. The method described in claim 9 characterized in that, the boom (7) is attached by sliding joint to the rail (6) fixed to the base (1) or fixed permanently to some other structural element placed nearby, preferably to the wall. 